KHN Journalist Combs for Clues on Covid’s Origins
California Healthline editor Arthur Allen discussed the investigation into the origins of the coronavirus on KPBS’ “Midday Edition” on Wednesday. Click here to hear Allen […]
California
Amgen lands first FDA approval for drug targeting elusive mutation in lung cancer
FDA approval of Amgen drug sotorasib (Lumakras) makes the small molecule the first compound authorized by the regulator for treating cancers characterized by a KRAS […]
In California, Nursing Home Owners Can Operate After They’re Denied a License
The pandemic has highlighted poor care in America’s nursing homes, where nearly 175,000 people have died of covid-19 — a third of all deaths from […]
Confronting Our ‘Frailties’: California’s Assembly Leader Reflects on a Year of Covid
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When his 20-month-old daughter developed a rash earlier this month, Anthony Rendon did what many other parents do when their child is […]
Engine Biosciences revs up $43M for AI tech that yields targeted cancer therapies
Engine Biosciences closed a $43 million Series A financing that the startup will apply to its artificial intelligence-based technology for drug discovery. The company analyzes […]
‘Better Than the Hospital’: Pandemic Boosts Care for Serious Illnesses at Home
Late last year, Janet Yetenekian was one of the thousands of people in Southern California whose case of covid-19 was serious enough to send her […]
Corporations Encourage Employee Vaccination but Stop Short of Mandates
This story also ran on U.S. News & World Report. It can be republished for free. Many of the companies with the largest number of […]
KHN Journalists Comment on Abortion Case, Wasted Covid Doses
KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a challenge in an abortion case from Mississippi on Newsy on Tuesday. Click […]
Despite Pandemic, Newsom Declines to Boost Local Public Health Budgets — Again
SACRAMENTO — In spite of a pandemic that has killed about 62,000 Californians — more than enough to pack Dodger Stadium — Gov. Gavin Newsom […]
Babylon continues buying spree with another California-based practice
Babylon Health bought two California-based medical practices as it charts a broader expansion across the U.S. But it’s still facing questions about the safety of […]
Homicides Surge in California Amid Covid Shutdowns of Schools, Youth Programs
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You’ve Added Your Kids to Your Health Plan. What About Mom?
SACRAMENTO — When Laura Chavez’s 74-year-old mom needed eye surgery last month, Chavez paid cash for the procedure. This story also ran on Los Angeles […]
Covid Fears Keep Many Latino Kids out of Classrooms
EAST LOS ANGELES — For the past year, 13-year-old twins Ariel Jr. and Abraham Osorio have logged on to their online classes from their parents’ […]
Covid Testing Has Turned Into a Financial Windfall for Hospitals and Other Providers
Pamela Valfer needed multiple covid tests after repeatedly visiting the hospital last fall to see her mother, who was being treated for cancer. Beds there […]
Salesforce, Google, Facebook. How Big Tech Undermines California’s Public Health System.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has embraced Silicon Valley tech companies and health care industry titans in response to the covid-19 pandemic like […]
Hit by Higher Prices for Gear, Doctors and Dentists Want Insurers to Pay
SACRAMENTO — Treating patients has become more expensive during the pandemic, and doctors and dentists don’t want to be on the hook for all the […]
Covered California Says Health Insurance Just Got Too Cheap to Ignore
If you are uninsured because health coverage seemed too expensive the last time you looked, it’s time to look again. Use Our Content It can […]
As Vaccine Demand Slows, Political Differences Go on Display in California Counties
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Capsida unveils $140M, AbbVie alliance & tech that takes gene therapy to the brain
Capsida Biotherapeutics’ technology can engineer viral vectors that deliver gene therapies to central nervous system cells. With that capability gave the startup was able to […]
Journalists Track Biden’s First 100 Days
Chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed Biden’s first 100 days on WAMU/NPR’s “1A” on Wednesday. She also joined Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Central Time” to talk […]
The Vulnerable Homebound Are Left Behind on Vaccination
It was April, more than three months into the vaccination campaign against covid-19, and Jim Freeman, 83, still had not gotten his first dose. Use […]
Adverum Bio’s shares plummet after patient in gene therapy study loses vision
Adverum Biotechnologies reported that a diabetic macular edema patient treated with the biotech’s experimental gene therapy developed complications, including blindness, in the treated eye. The […]
Some County Jail Inmates See Vaccination as Ticket to a Better Life — In the State Pen
LOS ANGELES — The inmates huddled near the front or lingered on the bunk beds lining both sides of their narrow, crowded dorm at the […]
You Don’t Have to Suffer to Benefit From Covid Vaccination — But Some Prefer It
If you think vaccination is an ordeal now, consider the 18th-century version. After having pus from a smallpox boil scratched into your arm, you would […]
Arch Oncology adds $105M for better way to get immune cells to gobble up tumors
Several companies are developing immunotherapies targeting the “don’t eat me” cancer protein CD47. Arch Oncology, which is developing drugs with features that could set them […]
‘We’re Coming for You’: For Public Health Officials, a Year of Threats and Menace
[Editor’s note: This article contains strong language that readers might find offensive or disturbing.] SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. — Dr. Gail Newel looks back on […]
California and Texas Took Different Routes to Vaccination. Who’s Ahead?
California and Texas, the country’s two most populous states, have taken radically different approaches to the pandemic and the vaccination campaign to end it. Use […]
Another Soda Tax Bill Dies. Another Win for Big Soda.
SACRAMENTO — A rogue industry. A gun to our head. Extortion. This story also ran on San Francisco Chronicle. It can be republished for free. […]
After a Deadly Year on the Roads, States Push for Safety Over Speed
As more Americans start commuting to work and hitting the roads after a year indoors, they’ll be returning to streets that have gotten deadlier. Last […]
Pandemic Highlights Need for Urgent Care Clinics for Women
SAN JOSE — Last spring, only weeks into the pandemic, Christina Garcia was spending her days struggling to help her two young sons adjust to […]
Syphilis Cases in California Drive a Record-Setting Year for STDs Nationwide
In certain circles of San Francisco, a case of syphilis can be as common and casual as the flu, to the point where Billy Lemon […]
Orange County Hospital Seeks Divorce From Large Catholic Health System
In early 2013, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Orange County, California, joined with St. Joseph Health, a local Catholic hospital chain, amid enthusiastic promises that […]
The key IT decisions that helped providers survive April 2020
As Covid-19 cases started escalating last April, providers in hotspot states, like New York, California and Washington, had to quickly pivot their IT plans. These […]
Doctor Survived Cambodia’s Killing Fields, but Not Covid
Linath Lim’s life was shaped by starvation. She was not yet 13 when the Khmer Rouge seized power in Cambodia and ripped her family apart. […]
California Counties a Hodgepodge of Highs and Lows in Vaccinating Vulnerable Seniors
Even as California prepares to expand vaccine eligibility on April 15 to all residents age 16 and up, the state has managed to inoculate only […]
For This Hospice Nurse, the Covid Shot Came Too Late
CORONA, Calif. — Antonio Espinoza loved the Los Angeles Dodgers. He loved them so much that he was laid to rest in his favorite Dodgers […]
Colleges and Universities Plan for Normal-ish Campus Life in the Fall
Dr. Sarah Van Orman treads carefully around the word “normal” when she describes what the fall 2021 term will look like at the University of […]
Beating the Pavement to Vaccinate the Underrepresented — And Protect Everyone
Leonor Garcia held her clipboard close to her chest and rapped on the car window with her knuckles. The driver was in one of dozens […]
In California, Blue Shield’s Vaccination Takeover Fixes What Wasn’t Broken
In California’s Mendocino County, public health officials and community clinics say they have hit their vaccination stride. This story also ran on The Mendocino Beacon. […]
Medicamentos ya conocidos, y baratos, podrían ser clave para tratar covid
¿Podría un antidepresivo que se usa desde hace décadas ser un arma secreta contra covid? Algunos científicos creen que sí, después de que dos pequeños […]
Scientists Seek Covid Treatment Answers in Cheap, Older Drugs
Could a decades-old antidepressant be a secret weapon against covid? A few scientists think so, after two small studies showed that fluvoxamine, typically prescribed for […]
It’s Not Just QAnon. Democrats and Independents Also Want to Recall California’s Governor.
SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is framing the burgeoning effort to remove him from office as a fringe Republican movement backed by right-wing extremists, […]
Stop Blaming Tuskegee, Critics Say. It’s Not an ‘Excuse’ for Current Medical Racism.
For months, journalists, politicians and health officials — including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Dr. Anthony Fauci — have invoked the infamous Tuskegee syphilis […]
Communities ask, where is the equity in vaccines?
Areas that have been hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic are falling short when it comes to vaccine access. Community leaders are pushing to bring […]
Ya te has vacunado contra covid. ¿Y ahora qué?
El esfuerzo de vacunación contra covid en este país ha sido un parto doloroso: problemas de registro, mala comunicación, datos incorrectos y un escaso suministro […]
So You’re Vaccinated Against Covid. Now What?
As you surely know, this country’s covid vaccination effort has been plagued by major birth pangs: registration snafus, poor communication, faulty data and a scant […]
Blue Shield Spent Years Cultivating a Relationship with Newsom. It Got the State Vaccine Contract.
SACRAMENTO — Gavin Newsom was just making a name for himself as mayor of San Francisco in 2005 when Blue Shield of California wrote him […]
Gilead and Novo Nordisk advance NASH collaboration to larger clinical study
Clinical tests of drugs from Gilead Sciences and Novo Nordisk have yielded encouraging results in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and the partners now want to see […]
‘Super-Sized’ Vaccine Clinic Offers Food Workers Some Relief
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Cristina Davila wasn’t used to being happy about waiting in line. As a server at the Navy Proof Restaurant and Bar, […]
California sues nation’s largest nursing home operator for ‘cutting corners’ in patient care
The state of California is suing Brookdale Senior Living for alleged patient safety violations at 10 nursing homes in the state and for providing false […]
How Covid Has Changed Our Movement, as Revealed by Your Cellphone
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Cardiac monitoring startup CEO: iRhythm and others are “one-trick” ponies
VitalConnect’s CEO Peter Van Haur believes his company’s product not only does a great job in real time cardiac remote monitoring but also has something […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Expanding the ACA in an Unpredicted Way
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. For the first time since its enactment in 2010, the Affordable Care Act is slated […]
Vaccine Altruists Find Appointments for Those Who Can’t
This story also ran on KCET. It can be republished for free. Ana Guevara was determined to get a covid vaccine for her mother, 85-year-old […]
In a Year of Zoom Memorials, Art Exhibit Makes Space for Grief
Tami Roncskevitz has attended two Zoom memorials for her daughter, Sarah, a 32-year-old emergency room social worker who died of covid on May 30. But […]
For Covid ‘Long Haulers,’ Battling for Disability Benefits Adds Aggravation to Exhaustion
Use Our Content It can be republished for free. Rickie Andersen took a brief break from work in March after she fell ill. Her cough, […]
Takeda to buy out Maverick in $525M bet on bringing T cells to solid tumors
Takeda Pharmaceutical and Maverick Therapeutics have been R&D partners since 2017. In buying out its partner, Takeda acquires technology and drug candidates that could offer […]
Gilead’s cell therapy Yescarta awarded FDA approval for follicular lymphoma
FDA approval for Yescarta in follicular lymphoma makes it the first approved CAR-T treatment for this type of cancer. It also marks Gilead Sciences’ third […]
One School District’s Struggle Over Public Health, Parents and Politics
This story also ran on U.S. News & World Report. It can be republished for free. Brandon Dell’Orto listened to the comments and complaints as […]
Amgen’s $1.9B Five Prime deal adds to cancer drug pipeline and Asia strategy
The acquisition brings Amgen a novel Phase 3-ready drug for gastric cancers. For Five Prime Therapeutics, the deal is a lifeline following a series of […]
Rechazan a cuidadores familiares en sitios de vacunación contra covid de California
En California, la confusión y la comunicación fallida han provocado que algunos padres elegibles y cuidadores familiares de personas con discapacidades sean rechazados en los […]
In California, Caregivers of People With Disabilities Are Being Turned Away at COVID Vaccine Sites
This story is part of a partnership that includes KPCC, NPR and KHN. It can be republished for free. In California, confusion and botched communication […]
BridgeBio turns Alexion asset into first approved drug for rare metabolic disease
The FDA decision makes Nulibry the first drug approved to treat MoCD type A, a rare metabolic disease. It’s also the first FDA-approved product for […]
Black Churches Fill a Unique Role in Combating Vaccine Fears
This story also ran on The Mercury News. It can be republished for free. In the hospital with covid-19 in December, Lavina Wafer tired of […]
‘Into the Covid ICU’: A New Doctor Bears Witness to the Isolation, Inequities of Pandemic
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. This story also ran on Reveal. It can be republished for free. This week marks […]
Learning to Live Again: A Lazarus Tale From the Covid Front Lines
This story also ran on LAist. It can be republished for free. The twinkle in his eyes, the delight in his smile, the joyous way […]
New California Law Makes It Easier to Get Care for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
USE OUR CONTENT It can be republished for free. Karen Bailey’s 20-year-old daughter has struggled with depression and anxiety for years. Since 2017, she’s been […]
Lessons From California Prison Where Covid ‘Spread Like Wildfire’
When news of the pandemic first reached the men incarcerated at Avenal State Prison in central California, inmate Ed Welker said the prevailing mood was […]
‘It’s a Minefield’: Biden Health Pick Must Tread Carefully on Abortion and Family Planning
This story also ran on NPR. It can be republished for free. As President Joe Biden works to overhaul U.S. health care policy, few challenges […]
New Single-Payer Bill Intensifies Newsom’s Political Peril
Use Our Content It can be republished for free. SACRAMENTO — A group of Democratic state lawmakers introduced legislation Friday to create a single-payer health […]
Companies Pan for Marketing Gold in Vaccines
This story also ran on NBC News. It can be republished for free. For a decade, Jennifer Crow has taken care of her elderly parents, […]
California Aims to Address the ‘Urgent’ Needs of Older Residents. But Will Its Plan Work?
USE OUR CONTENT It can be republished for free. Even as the pandemic derailed some of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s biggest health care proposals, such as […]
Vaccines Go Mobile to Keep Seniors From Slipping Through the Cracks
USE OUR CONTENT It can be republished for free. ANTIOCH, Calif. — A mobile “strike team” is bringing vaccines to some of Northern California’s most […]
Gilead, Galapagos halt IPF study in latest stumble for blockbuster alliance
The decision to discontinue all clinical trials for ziritaxestat is the latest setback in a broad alliance between Gilead Sciences and Galapagos. Last year, the […]
California’s Smallest County Makes Big Vaccination Gains
This story also ran on Los Angeles Times. It can be republished for free. WOODFORDS, Calif. — In the winter, the roughly three-hour drive from […]
Schools Walk the Tightrope Between Ideal Safety and the Reality of Covid
California mom Megan Bacigalupi has had enough. She wants her kindergartner and second grader back in their Oakland classrooms. This story also ran on USA […]
Journalists Explore Inefficiency and Inequities of Vaccine Rollout
KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber spoke about the covid-19 vaccine rollout for WAMU’s “1A” on Jan. 29. Click here to hear Weber on WAMU KHN […]
California’s Rural Counties Endure a Deadly Covid Winter
Covid-19’s fierce winter resurgence in California is notable not only for the explosion in overall cases and deaths in the state’s sprawling urban centers. This […]
Treating Advanced Prostate Cancer with Diet
Dr. Dean Ornish showed that a plant-based diet and lifestyle program could apparently reverse the progression of prostate cancer for early stage, localized, watch-and-wait cancer. […]
Disipando información errónea y mitos sobre las vacunas en la región agrícola de California
Este artículo también fue publicado por Radio Bilingüe. It can be republished for free. MECCA, Calif. — El polvo hace remolinos en el aire mientras […]
Dispelling Vaccine Misinformation and Myths in California’s Breadbasket
This story also ran on Radio Bilingue. It can be republished for free. MECCA, Calif. — Dust swirled in the air as Luz Gallegos parked […]
Gilead’s Gritstone vaccine deal adds yet another shot on goal for HIV cure
The therapeutic vaccine will be based on Gritstone Oncology’s technology and will use antigens from Gilead Sciences. It’s the latest in a string of partnerships […]
Head-Scratching Over Newsom’s Choice of Blue Shield to Lead Vaccination Push
USE OUR CONTENT It can be republished for free. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, struggling to salvage a once-bright political future dimmed by his mishandling of […]
Startups see new promise in old insight about viruses to stop cancer
Researchers have known for decades that viruses can beat back cancer. But it’s been hard to design a virus that does the trick. A new […]
Journalists Stay on Top of Rocky Vaccine Rollout
California Healthline senior correspondent Anna Maria Barry-Jester discussed California’s rocky covid-19 vaccine rollout with KALW’s “Your Call” on Wednesday. Click here to hear Barry-Jester on […]
Vaccination Chaos Fuels Push to Recall Newsom
This story also ran on Daily Beast. It can be republished for free. Joyce Hanson was thrilled when she heard Gov. Gavin Newsom announce Jan. […]
Nuevos casos de Covid caen un 25% o más a medida que cambian conductas
Una docena de estados están reportando caídas del 25% o más en nuevos casos de covid-19, y más de 1,200 condados también observan esta baja, […]
New Covid Cases Plunge 25% or More As Behavior Changes
A dozen states are reporting drops of 25% or more in new covid-19 cases and more than 1,200 counties have seen the same, federal data […]
Remdesivir, Given to Half of Hospitalized Covid Patients in U.S., Is Big Win for Gilead — Boosted by Taxpayers
It was the end of April — just as the U.S. confirmed its millionth covid-19 case and 50,000 deaths — when White House adviser Dr. […]
California’s Top Hospital Lobbyist Cements Influence in Covid Crisis
SACRAMENTO — As intensive care units filled and coronavirus cases surged over the holidays, Carmela Coyle invoked a World War II-era quote attributed to British […]
Vaccine Ramp-Up Squeezes Covid Testing and Tracing
This story also ran on Los Angeles Times. It can be republished for free. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, under growing pressure to jump-start a faltering […]
Trump’s Pardons Included Health Care Execs Behind Massive Frauds
At the last minute, President Donald Trump granted pardons to several individuals convicted in huge Medicare swindles that prosecutors alleged often harmed or endangered elderly […]
California Is Overriding Its Limits on Nurse Workloads as Covid Surges
This story is from a reporting partnership that includes KQED, NPR and KHN. It can be republished for free. California’s telemetry nurses, who specialize in […]
CVS and Walgreens Under Fire for Slow Pace of Vaccination in Nursing Homes
The effort to vaccinate some of the country’s most vulnerable residents against covid-19 has been slowed by a federal program that sends retail pharmacists into […]
Journalists Examine How Covid Polarizes Communities
California Healthline senior correspondent Anna Maria Barry-Jester discussed public health backlash on WABE’s “Did You Wash Your Hands?” on Jan. 5. Click here to hear […]
In Search of a Baby, I Got Covid Instead
As a health care journalist in Los Angeles reporting on the pandemic, I knew exactly what I needed to do once I landed in the […]
California Counties ‘Flying the Plane as We Build It’ in a Plodding Vaccine Rollout
USE OUR CONTENT It can be republished for free. In these first lumbering weeks of the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history, Dr. Julie Vaishampayan […]
How Much Arsenic in Rice Is Too Much?
What are some strategies to reduce arsenic exposure from rice? Those who are exposed to the most arsenic in rice are those who are exposed […]
California Budget Reflects ‘Pandemic-Induced Reality,’ Governor Says
USE OUR CONTENT It can be republished for free. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The coronavirus pandemic doomed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious plans last year to combat […]
‘Peer Respites’ Provide an Alternative to Psychiatric Wards During Pandemic
Mia McDermott is no stranger to isolation. Abandoned as an infant in China, she lived in an orphanage until a family in California adopted her […]
San Francisco Wrestles With Drug Approach as Death and Chaos Engulf Tenderloin
This story also ran on Los Angeles Times. It can be republished for free. SAN FRANCISCO — In early 2019, Tom Wolf posted a thank-you […]
In Los Angeles and Beyond, Oxygen Is the Latest Covid Bottleneck
As Los Angeles hospitals give record numbers of covid patients oxygen, the systems and equipment needed to deliver the life-sustaining gas are faltering. It’s gotten […]
States threaten to crackdown on providers amid Covid-19 vaccine distribution
In an effort to ensure the efficient and orderly distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, governors from New York, California and Florida are warning that they […]
Arsenic in Rice Milk, Rice Krispies, and Brown Rice Syrup
I recommend people switch away from using rice milk For kids and teens, the amount of arsenic flowing through their bodies was found to be […]
As the Terror of COVID Struck, Health Care Workers Struggled to Survive. Thousands Lost the Fight.
This story also ran on The Guardian. It can be republished for free. Workers at Garfield Medical Center in suburban Los Angeles were on edge […]
California’s COVID Enforcement Strategy: Education Over Citations
Use Our Content It can be republished for free. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nearly six months since Gov. Gavin Newsom promised to target businesses that are […]
‘Nine Months Into It, the Adrenaline Is Gone and It’s Just Exhausting’
USE OUR CONTENT It can be republished for free. In March, during the first week of the San Francisco Bay Area’s first-in-the-nation stay-at-home order, KHN […]
No more ICU beds at the main public hospital in the nation’s largest county
Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, a 600-bed public hospital on L.A.’s Eastside, has no more ICU beds available as the Covid-19 tears through Southern California.
No More ICU Beds at the Main Public Hospital in the Nation’s Largest County as COVID Surges
USE OUR CONTENT It can be republished for free. She lay behind a glass barrier, heavily sedated, kept alive by a machine that blew oxygen […]
Hospitals sue drug companies over discount program
The lawsuit follows action by at least a half-dozen drug companies to rein in what they see as waste and abuse in the program, overseen […]
Alzheimer’s Inc.: Colleagues Question Scientist’s Pricey Recipe Against Memory Loss
This story also ran on Daily Beast. It can be republished for free. When her husband was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease in 2015, Elizabeth […]
Immunai joins 10x Genomics program to boost drug development
Together, the two companies say can give drugmakers a better view at the cellular level of how a patient’s immune system is responding to a […]
How to Pull Off a COVID-Era Music Festival
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — As the pandemic took hold and well-grooved music festivals canceled their mainstream events, Krista Selico saw an opening. She had been […]
Which Rice Has the Least Amount of Arsenic: Black, Brown, Red, White, or Wild?
Brown rice contains more arsenic than white rice, but the arsenic in brown rice is less absorbable, so how does it wash out when you […]
High-Poverty Neighborhoods Bear the Brunt of COVID’s Scourge
Over the course of the pandemic, COVID-19 infections have battered high-poverty neighborhoods in California on a staggeringly different scale than more affluent areas, a trend […]
Law Will Allow Calif. to Produce, Distribute Biosimilars, Generics
That is the title of an article by Angela Maas in Radar on Specialty pharmacy (reprinted here). A few excerpts: “Although state governments frequently pay […]
California lawmakers to Gov, Newsom: Give all immigrants health coverage
A fiercely liberal state senator from Los Angeles and a moderate Assembly member from the Central Valley are joining forces to pressure Newsom to make […]
Which Brands and Sources of Rice Have the Least Arsenic?
Arsenic levels were tested in 5,800 rice samples from 25 countries.The arsenic found in five servings of rice a week poses a hundred times the […]
With Becerra as HHS Pick, California Plots More Progressive Health Care Agenda
SACRAMENTO — President-elect Joe Biden didn’t back “Medicare for All” during his campaign. Yet his choice of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to serve in […]
Dialysis Industry Spends Millions, Emerges as Power Player in California Politics
SACRAMENTO — The nation’s dialysis industry has poured $233 million into California campaigns over the past four years, establishing its leading companies as a formidable […]
Becerra, un candidato para el HHS con habilidad política pero sin experiencia en salud
Xavier Becerra, elegido por el presidente electo Joe Biden para dirigir el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHS), será un secretario de la era […]
In Becerra, an HHS Nominee With Political Skill But No Front-Line Health Experience
Xavier Becerra, President-elect Joe Biden’s choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services, is set to be a pandemic-era secretary with no public […]
Biden to nominate California AG Xavier Becerra as HHS head
President-elect Joe Biden named Xavier Becerra, the current California attorney general, as his nominee for HHS secretary. A 12-term congressman and vocal supporter of the […]
Xavier Becerra en sus propias palabras: “La atención de salud es un derecho”
El presidente electo Joe Biden nombró al fiscal general de California, Xavier Becerra, para dirigir el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHS) de los […]
Xavier Becerra in His Own Words: ‘Health Care Is a Right’
President-elect Joe Biden has tapped California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Becerra, who would be the […]
California Lawmakers to Newsom: Give All Immigrants Health Coverage
Use Our Content It can be republished for free. SACRAMENTO — California Democratic lawmakers so far have failed to convince Gov. Gavin Newsom that the […]
As LA County Sets New Infection Record, State Leaders’ Behavior Sends Mixed Messages
California, like the rest of the nation, is seeing a dramatic rise in COVID infections and deaths — and Los Angeles County has some of […]
Where Does the Arsenic in Rice, Mushrooms, and Wine Come From?
What happens when our crops are grown in soil contaminated with arsenic-based pesticides and arsenic drug-laced chicken manure? When arsenic-containing drugs are fed to chickens, […]
Where COVID Is on the Menu: Failed Contact Tracing Leaves Diners in the Dark
COVID-19 outbreaks have affected restaurants throughout Los Angeles County, from a Panda Express in Sun Valley to the University of California’s Bruin Cafe. If you […]
Investors pour $91M into growing clinical-trial software firm
The Covid-19 pandemic is altering behavior and fueling demand for remote technologies in clinical trials with Medable, a company in the clinical trial software space, […]
OSHA Let Employers Decide Whether to Report Health Care Worker Deaths. Many Didn’t.
As Walter Veal cared for residents at the Ludeman Developmental Center in suburban Chicago, he saw the potential future of his grandson, who has autism. […]
Why Was Chicken the Primary Source of Arsenic Exposure in Children?
What was the National Chicken Council’s response to public health authorities calling for the industry to stop feeding arsenic-based drugs to poultry? “Dietary practices influence our […]
Medicare Open Enrollment Is Complicated. Here’s How to Get Good Advice.
If you’ve been watching TV lately, you may have seen actor Danny Glover or Joe Namath, the 77-year-old NFL legend, urging you to call an […]
California Law Banning Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics Will Transform Industry
A toxic chemical ban signed into law in California will change the composition of cosmetics, shampoos, hair straighteners and other personal care products used by […]
Surging LA
Use Our Content It can be republished for free. On a Monday afternoon in March, four days after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the nation’s first […]
KHN on the Air This Week
KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber discussed COVID-19 surges in Wisconsin with Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Central Time” on Nov. 13. Click here to hear Weber on […]
Lucira Covid-19 test is first to get FDA nod for home use
The authorization comes as Covid-19 testing demand threatens to swamp U.S. labs. However, it will take time for the Lucira test to become available nationwide.
Push Is On in US to Figure Out South Asians’ High Heart Risks
For years, Sharad Acharya’s frequent hikes in the mountains outside Denver would leave him short of breath. But a real wake-up call came three years […]
As Broad Shutdowns Return, Weary Californians Ask ‘Is This the Best We Can Do?’
Use Our Content It can be republished for free. SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — For Tom Davis, being told by the state this week that he […]
Lo que los doctores no aprenden: a detectar el racismo en la atención médica
Betial Asmerom, estudiante de medicina de cuarto año en la Universidad de California-San Diego (UCSD), nunca había demostrado interés en ser doctora. En su adolescencia, […]
What Doctors Aren’t Always Taught: How to Spot Racism in Health Care
Betial Asmerom, a fourth-year medical student at the University of California-San Diego, didn’t have the slightest interest in becoming a doctor when she was growing […]
Stanford vs. Harvard: Two Famous Biz Schools’ Opposing Tactics on COVID
At the Stanford Graduate School of Business in Northern California, the stories got weird almost immediately upon students’ return for the fall semester. Some said […]
Fiscal general de California: los jueces deben ver que ACA es “indispensable”
Sacramento.- Cuando la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos esté escuchando el martes 10 un caso que podría decidir el destino de la Ley de […]
Orange County Struggles With Health Equity — And Battles State Restrictions
California’s most popular amusement park has become the focal point of a struggle over how best to contain COVID-19 while keeping the economy afloat. California’s […]
Justices Bound to See ACA as ‘Indispensable,’ Says Californian Leading Defense
SACRAMENTO — When the U.S. Supreme Court hears a case Tuesday that could decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act, California will be leading […]
Search for a Snakebite Drug Might Lead to a COVID Treatment, Too
Dr. Matthew Lewin, founder of the Center for Exploration and Travel Health at the California Academy of Sciences, was researching snakebite treatments in rural locations […]
KHN on the Air This Week
Columnist and California Healthline senior correspondent Bernard J. Wolfson discussed the start of open enrollment for health care plans in California with KPCC’s “Take Two” […]
String of FDA approvals gives momentum to liquid biopsies
Following years of research and investment, liquid biopsies are steadily accumulating FDA approvals. The tests are being used in molecular profiling of solid tumors and […]
Sin presidente todavía, el futuro de la salud también sigue siendo incierto
Sin un ganador y sin saber todavía qué partido controlará el Senado, el futuro del sistema de salud de la nación también sigue siendo incierto. […]
It’s Open Enrollment. Here’s What You Need to Know
California’s annual health insurance enrollment season for individuals and families kicks off this week against a dramatic backdrop: the hotly contested presidential election; a pandemic […]
No Winner for President Yet and Health Care Hangs in the Balance
With the winner of the presidency and party control of the Senate still unclear the morning after Election Day, the future of the nation’s health […]
¿Estás internado? Todavía puedes votar en gran parte del país
Johnathon Talamantes se rompió la cadera en un accidente de auto el 22 de octubre y se sometió a una cirugía cinco días después en […]
They Work in Several Nursing Homes to Eke Out a Living, Possibly Spreading the Virus
To make ends meet, Martha Tapia works 64 hours a week at two Orange County, California, nursing homes. She is one of thousands of certified […]
California’s Progressive — and Expensive — Health Care Ambitions Rely on Biden Win
SACRAMENTO — For deep blue California, where first-in-the-nation health care proposals regularly flood the Democratic agenda, there could not be more at stake in the […]
Hospitalized? You Can Still Vote in Most Parts of the Country
Johnathon Talamantes, of South-Central Los Angeles, broke his hip in a car accident on Oct. 22 and underwent surgery five days later at a public […]
KHN on the Air This Week
KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed the current surge in COVID-19 cases, health policy in the election and the Affordable Care Act case before […]
Democrats Link GOP Challengers to Trump’s COVID Record, Efforts to Undo Obamacare
In a tweet to his 78,000 followers Sunday, U.S. Rep. Harley Rouda, a Democrat from Orange County, California, described his Republican opponent Michelle Steel’s attendance […]
App-Based Companies Pushing Prop. 22 Say Drivers Will Get Health Benefits. Will They?
App-based driving services such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart are bankrolling California’s Proposition 22, which would keep their drivers classified as independent contractors, not […]
As Anxieties Rise, Californians Buy Hundreds of Thousands More Guns
Handgun sales in California have risen to unprecedented levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts say first-time buyers are driving the trend. The FBI conducted […]
Savvy Patient Fought for the Price She Was Quoted − And Didn’t Give Up
When Tiffany Qiu heard how much her surgery was going to cost her, she was sure the hospital’s financial department had made a mistake. Qiu, […]
Telemedicine or In-Person Visit? Pros and Cons
As COVID-19 took hold in March, U.S. doctors limited in-person appointments — and many patients avoided them — for fear of infection. The result was […]
Verily’s COVID Testing Program Halted in San Francisco and Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. — Amid fanfare in March, California officials celebrated the launch of a multimillion-dollar contract with Verily — Google’s health-focused sister company — that […]
Déjà Vu for California Voters on Dialysis
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The survival of California’s dialysis clinics is in the hands of its voters this November. Sound familiar? Voters heard the same dire […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A Little Good News and Some Bad on COVID-19
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. For the first time in a long time, there is some good news about the […]
Californians Asked to Pony Up for Stem Cell Research — Again
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In an election year dominated by a chaotic presidential race and splashy statewide ballot initiative campaigns, Californians are being asked to weigh […]
‘All You Want Is to Be Believed’: The Impacts of Unconscious Bias in Health Care
In mid-March, Karla Monterroso flew home to Alameda, California, after a hiking trip in Utah’s Zion National Park. Four days later, she began to develop […]
Health Care Groups Dive Into Property Tax Ballot Fight, Eyeing Public Health Money
SACRAMENTO — A November ballot initiative to raise property taxes on big-business owners in California is drawing unconventional political support from health care power players […]
KHN on the Air This Week
California Healthline correspondent Angela Hart discussed how the coronavirus pandemic has derailed California’s efforts to deal with homelessness on KPBS “Midday Edition” on Oct. 8. […]
COVID Crackdowns at Work Have Saved Black and Latino Lives, LA Officials Say
Los Angeles County officials attribute a dramatic decline in COVID-19 death and case rates among Blacks and Latinos over the past two months to aggressive […]
Limbix digital therapeutic for adolescent mental health finds niche amid Covid-19 pandemic
The Silicon Valley startup plans to start its registration-directed study of Limbix Spark in the earlier part of next year and – if successful – […]
Pandemic Erects Barriers for Prized Bloc of Voters in Nursing Homes, Senior Facilities
The convergence of the coronavirus pandemic and election season has complicated this year’s voting for residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other long-term […]
CRISPR gene-editing discoverers awarded Nobel Prize in chemistry
The prize went to Jennifer Doudna of the University of California Berkeley and Emmanuelle Charpentier of the Max Planck Institute. Charpentier published her research on […]
Hard Lives Made Harder by COVID: Homeless Endure a ‘Slow-Moving Train Wreck’
CALEXICO, Calif. — The message wasn’t lost on Daniel Gonzalez. Early in the pandemic, one of the first things Imperial County did to ward off […]
Distrusting Trump, States Plan to Vet COVID Vaccines Themselves. Bad Idea, Say Experts.
As trust in the Food and Drug Administration wavers, several states have vowed to conduct independent reviews of any COVID-19 vaccine the federal agency authorizes. […]
One School, Two Choices: A Study in Classroom vs. Distance Learning
Cozbi Mazariegos stays in shape these days by running room to room inside her Marin City apartment to answer questions from her kids, ages 7, […]
Amgen announces ‘positive’ Phase II lung cancer results for cancer drug with hard-to-reach target
The company did not provide data, but said results for patients who received sotorasib at the 960mg dose were consistent with those seen in the […]
Campus Dorm Resident Assistants Adjust to a New Role: COVID Cop
Breaking up parties, confiscating booze and answering noise complaints — being a resident adviser has always required a willingness to be the “bad guy” and […]
Easier-to-Use Coronavirus Saliva Tests Start to Catch On
As the coronavirus pandemic broke out across the country, health care providers and scientists relied on the standard method for detecting respiratory viruses: sticking a […]
Gilead takes over distribution of Covid-19 antiviral drug from federal government
The company said it was meeting real-time supply demands for Veklury (remdesivir) in the U.S. and anticipated meeting global demands for the drug worldwide. AmerisourceBergen […]
Wear a Mask. If Only It Were That Simple.
Nils Hase, a retiree who lives in Tarpon Springs, Florida, is wearing a mask and loading his Home Depot haul into his car on a […]
How to Weigh Evacuation Options With Both Wildfires and COVID at Your Door
As the smoke thickened near her home in Santa Cruz, California, last week, Amanda Smith kept asking herself the same questions: Should we leave? And […]
Feeling Anxious and Depressed? You’re Right at Home in California.
It’s official, California: COVID-19 has left us sick with worry and increasingly despondent. And our youngest adults — ages 18 to 29 — are feeling […]
Wildfires Provide Another Reason to Mask Up
If you have declined to wear a face mask during the COVID-19 crisis, you might want to reconsider, as the smoke from over 300 wildfires […]
Kronos Bio raises $155M in private financing to advance lead leukemia drug into registration study next year
The company has raised $148 million so far and plans to raise the remaining $7 million by next month. Its lead candidate is entospletinib, a […]
Swab, Spit, Stay Home? College Coronavirus Testing Plans Are All Over the Map
Yousuf El-Jayyousi, a junior engineering student at the University of Missouri, wanted guidance and reassurance that it would be safe to go back to school […]
California’s Data Failures Stymie Efforts to Curb the Virus
The failure of California’s infectious disease monitoring system for a stretch of at least 20 days in July and August triggered potentially deadly fallout that […]
FDA issues surprise rejection of Gilead, Galapagos rheumatoid arthritis drug
While there had been some risks to filgotinib’s approval cited before, analysts expressed surprise at the decision, with one writing it would likely delay approval […]
COVID Testing Choke Points
In some ways, the nation’s COVID testing system is like a game of Jenga: When one piece falters, the entire tower collapses. Take Sacramento County, […]
Gilead invests another $145M into expanded oncology pact with Tango Therapeutics
The update to the partnership includes opt-in rights for Gilead on 15 drug targets, up from five under the original 2018 deal. Gilead will pay […]
Sanofi to acquire Principia Biopharma for $3.7B
The French drugmaker will take full control of SAR442168, a BTK inhibitor developed for multiple sclerosis that it in-licensed from the California biotech company in […]
PPE Shortage Could Last Years Without Strategic Plan, Experts Warn
Shortages of personal protective equipment and medical supplies could persist for years without strategic government intervention, officials from health care and manufacturing industries have predicted. […]
Interest in rapid Covid-19 antigen tests continues despite accuracy concerns
Earlier this month, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine received a false-positive result from a rapid antigen test for Covid-19, raising concerns about the tests’ accuracy. The […]
COVID Data Failures Create Pressure for Public Health System Overhaul
After terrorists slammed a plane into the Pentagon on 9/11, ambulances rushed scores of the injured to community hospitals, but only three of the patients […]
Gilead got a boost from a newly approved PrEP drug. Now, a major insurer is dropping coverage
UnitedHealthcare sent a notice to plan members stating that it would no longer cover Descovy to prevent HIV, while Truvada – after it goes generic […]
Turning Anger Into Action: Minority Students Analyze COVID Data on Racial Disparities
As the coronavirus swept into Detroit this spring, Wayne State University junior Skye Taylor noticed something striking. On social media, many of her fellow Black […]
El coronavirus prolifera entre trabajadores latinos en un condado rico de California
En una cálida tarde de finales de junio, la gente acudió en masa a las mesas al aire libre de la calle principal de esta […]
In Health-Conscious Marin County, Virus Runs Rampant Among ‘Essential’ Latino Workers
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — On a warm evening in late June, people flocked to alfresco tables set up along this town’s main drag to sip […]
Public Health Officials Are Quitting or Getting Fired in Throes of Pandemic
Vilified, threatened with violence or in some cases suffering from burnout, dozens of state and local public health officials around the U.S. have resigned or […]
Amid COVID Chaos, California Legislators Fight for Major Health Care Bills
California lawmakers are barreling toward an end-of-month deadline to pass or kill bills amid the biggest public health crisis the state has faced in a […]
Guardant scores FDA approval for liquid biopsy test
In a phone interview, Guardant Health CEO Helmy Eltoukhy said he expected the approval to encourage coverage by those payers still on the sidelines.
Big Pharma plays CMO as Pfizer signs on to produce Covid-19 drug remdesivir for Gilead
Gilead Sciences had said in its second-quarter earnings that it would partner with companies in North America, Europe and Asia to manufacture the antiviral drug, […]
With Caveats, Hopeful News for Preschools Planning Young Kids’ Return
Sabrina Lira Garcia is proud to work as a clinical assistant in the COVID-19 ward of a Los Angeles hospital, but sometimes she wishes she […]
Covered California Announces Record-Low Rate Hike for 2021
Premiums for health plans sold through Covered California, the state’s Affordable Care Act insurance exchange, will rise an average of 0.6% next year — the […]
Platform study designed to rapidly screen potential Covid-19 drugs enrolls first patients
Three of the companies making drugs used in the Phase II I-SPY COVID-19 study – Amgen, AbbVie and Takeda – announced the patient enrollments Monday. […]
California GOP Consultant Rues ‘Big Mistake’ That Led to Family’s COVID Infections
SACRAMENTO — The tweet Richard Costigan posted July 23 was bluntly honest: “We tried our best to limit exposure to #COVID19 but we slipped up […]
INVEST Pitch Perfect winner spotlight: Pleiogenix eyes road ahead for liver disease drug
The company is hoping to close its seed funding round in the next six months and aims to be in a position to seek regulatory […]
Avoiding Care During the Pandemic Could Mean Life or Death
These days, Los Angeles acting teacher Deryn Warren balances her pain with her fear. She’s a bladder cancer patient who broke her wrist in November. […]
Don’t Count on Lower Premiums Despite Pandemic-Driven Boon for Insurers
When COVID-19 smacked the United States in March and April, health plans feared medical costs could skyrocket, jacking up premiums drastically in 2021, when millions […]
Medi-Cal Agency’s New Head Wants to Tackle Disparities and Racism
When Will Lightbourne looked at the statistics behind California’s coronavirus cases, the disparities were “blindingly clear”: Blacks and Latinos are dying at higher rates than […]
Dental and Doctors’ Offices Still Struggling with COVID Job Loss
California’s outpatient health care practices largely shrugged off two recessions, adding more than 400,000 jobs during a two-decade climb from the start of 2000 to […]
Employers Require COVID Liability Waivers as Conflict Mounts Over Workplace Safety
After spending a May day preparing her classroom to reopen for preschoolers, Ana Aguilar was informed that the tots would not have to wear face […]
Must-Reads of the Week From Lauren Olsen
Hiya! I’m Lauren Olsen, your new Newsletter Editor. That’s right — the totally official, no more fill-ins, always-here-for-you Newsletter Editor. As the replacement for editor […]
Gilead’s Kite Pharma gets FDA nod for second CAR-T cell therapy
The agency approved Tecartus, previously developed under the name KTE-X19, as the first CAR-T therapy for mantle cell lymphoma. The company had previously won approval […]
Startups talk about what it’s like to raise money in a pandemic
MedCity spoke with Evidation and BrightInsight, two startups that have recently announced funding rounds, amid a Covid-19 pandemic worsening in the U.S.
States Search for Ways to Deal With COVID-19 Testing Backlogs
HELENA, Montana — States frustrated by private laboratories’ increasingly long turnarounds for COVID-19 test results are scrambling to find ways to salvage their testing programs. […]
Medicaid Mystery: Millions of Enrollees Haven’t Materialized in California
The predictions were dire: Coronavirus lockdowns would put millions of Americans out of work, stripping them of their health insurance and pushing them into Medicaid, […]
Behind The Byline: ‘Reporting From a Distance’
https://khn.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/07/Anna-A-BTB-w-copyedit.mp4 Behind The Byline Watch More Videos Although the coronavirus pandemic shut down many organizations and businesses across the nation, KHN has never been busier […]
NIH Project Homes In on COVID Racial Disparities
While the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Hispanic Americans is no secret, federal officials have launched studies of the disparity that they hope […]
As Coronavirus Patients Skew Younger, Tracing Task Seems All But Impossible
Use Our Content This story can be republished for free (details). Younger people are less likely to be hospitalized or die of COVID-19 than their […]
Roche, PicnicHealth start RWD partnership with multiple sclerosis focus
The companies will use a combination of more than seven years of medical record data with five years of prospective data on 5,000 MS patients, […]
California School Districts Grope for Sensible Reopening Plans
School leaders in Elk Grove, California, wanted to leave as little to chance as possible. So they brought nearly 150 voices into their decision-making process, […]
Puedes ver a amigos y familiares durante la pandemia, pero sigue estas reglas
Use Nuestro Contenido Este contenido puede usarse de manera gratuita (detalles). Después de un encierro prolongado, anhelando un día en la playa o una noche […]
You Can See Friends and Relatives During the Pandemic Surge — But Do It Carefully
Cooped up too long, yearning for a day at the beach or a night on the town — and enticed by the easing of restrictions […]
Gilead starts Phase I trial of inhaled version of Covid-19 drug remdesivir
The study is enrolling 60 healthy volunteers aged 18-45, but the company hopes it will form the basis of trials of the drug as an […]
Gilead Covid-19 drug remdesivir benefited from $6.5B in NIH-funded basic research, study finds
Research on the drug’s molecular target dates back to the 1950s. A spokesperson for Gilead noted that the company anticipates potentially investing more than $1 […]
Amid Surge, Hospitals Hesitate To Cancel Nonemergency Surgeries
Three months ago, the nation watched as COVID-19 patients overwhelmed New York City’s intensive care units, forcing some of its hospitals to convert cafeterias into […]
VelosBio raises $137M Series B round to support suite of ROR1-targeting cancer drugs
The company is currently running a Phase I study of its lead candidate, the antibody-drug conjugate VLS-101, in patients with lymphomas and leukemias. It has […]
Mad Cow Disease and Cosmetics
As I discuss in my video Which Intestines for Food and Cosmetics?, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently reopened comments about its policy of […]
